In every person’s journey of growing up, there are certain “firsts” that stay with us forever. The first cry we make when entering the world. The first nervous steps through a school gate. The first time standing on a stage. Yesterday was one of those special firsts for DGS as well. After seven years of dedication, growth, and overcoming challenges together, DGS celebrated a sacred milestone: the school’s first-ever high school graduation ceremony for K1.

Seven years ago, we called these students “pathfinders.” Because back then, no one truly knew where the road ahead would lead. DGS was still young, growing and taking shape day by day, and these students were the very first to grow alongside the school — setting sail on a journey with no map and no precedent. But today, at the first high school graduation ceremony in DGS history, we call them by a different name: PIONEERS.

The feeling is difficult to put into words. There is joy, knowing the destination has finally come into view. Yet there is also a quiet ache in letting go of the familiar side of the boat that carried us for so long. Seven years once felt endless, and now we find ourselves wishing time would slow down just a little longer — so we can stand together and take in this harbor before each of us lifts our own oar toward a new and wider ocean.

Looking back through the pages of the past seven years, we cannot forget the challenges that shaped K1’s resilience and courage. One memory begins on the very first day of school, when rain poured down and covered the schoolyard in white. “But the moment the bus doors opened, I saw something I didn’t expect. The staff were standing outside, lined up with umbrellas, creating a path for us to walk safely into the building.  At that moment, I remember thinking to myself: This is something different. ” - Phạm Gia Bảo, 12 Oak, recalled with emotion.

Being the first class also meant there was no one ahead to ask, no model to follow, and many things K1 had to discover and build for themselves. “We were like a small boat learning how to read a new map, sailing through waters we had never entered before, with only forty-eight people on board.

But we didn’t stay anchored. We kept rowing together and created our own ‘firsts.’

Seven years ago, we chose DGS without knowing where this boat would take us. Today, we step forward knowing who we are.” - Linh Gia Linh, 12 Banyan, reflected.

For many K1 students, DGS was never just a place to study. It was a place where they felt heard, trusted, and seen for who they truly were. Looking back on those years, Phạm Gia Bảo spoke about something simple yet rare: “Honestly, I can’t imagine a better community to grow up in. Where on earth could you find a school where the principal and the head of school walks through the halls every day, greeting students, joking with them, and being someone everyone genuinely loves and feels close to? To me, sometimes DGS feels less like a school and more like one big friend group because the teachers care about us not just as students, but as people.”

And perhaps it was that trust that gave K1 the courage to step into the unknown and create what once seemed impossible. “And sometimes, what seems uncertain now becomes the very thing we are most grateful for later.

Because who would have imagined that eighth graders could organize their own Got Talent show and ninth graders could run an MUN conference for 200 delegates? Who would have imagined that a sudden, risky curriculum change would one day place us at the top of the AP scoreboard?

Who would have imagined that our teachers’ early belief in us, that, “a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world,” are becoming true everyday?

No one knew what we were walking into when we chose DGS. We could only believe that it might become something meaningful.

And it did.” - Nguyễn Thị Hà Linh, 12 Oak, shared.

As the students prepare to sail farther into the world, Head of School Dr. Đặng Đình Long offered words of encouragement: “As you leave this river and swim into a wider ocean, you will discover that the world is larger, faster, and more competitive. There will be moments when you feel lost. Moments when you lose confidence. Moments when you question yourself, and perhaps even question the world.

But I believe you will find your way because DGS has placed within you three guiding stars:
Character - Cognition - Community. 

…The big ocean is waiting: Go and Swim with courage. Think deeply. Love generously. And wherever life takes you, carry the very best of DGS in your heart.”

And perhaps after all the journeys, challenges, and memories shared together, what remains deepest in our hearts is not simply a school, but the feeling of belonging to a community called DGS. That is also the belief Mr. David Sonnenberg, Founder of DGS, has always held close:

“DGS is more than a school. It is an identity, a reputation, and a spirit associated with who we are at DGS. And you are a key-most part of that — our first graduating class — you will carry that spirit into the world.

If people ask you what made DGS special? What did you like most about it? ..what will you answer?

I think you might say, -because we feel it from you-, is that it is -especially an attitude of kindness & humility, and a spirit of teamwork & community.”

Today, the shared boat has reached its harbor, but forty-eight individual boats are now strong enough to sail toward different horizons of their own. Thank you, K1, for not only choosing DGS as part of your school journey, but for helping DGS write the very first chapters of this story. And before those sails set course for new horizons, Ms. Nguyễn Thuỳ Dương, Head of the MOET Program, shared her heartfelt message with K1:

“No matter where life takes you, where you study, or what you choose to do, I hope you will always keep the confidence and courage to continue walking the path you choose.
There will be times of difficulty, exhaustion, and disappointment, but I hope you will never give up easily, and that you will always strive to overcome those moments and grow stronger because of them.

Most importantly, always cherish and be grateful to the people who have loved and supported you so that you could have the good things you do today.

I believe that ahead of K1 lies truly brilliant journeys. Farewell, and until we meet again.”